Rug-display device



l. MALASKY.

RUG DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 31. I921.

'1 ,428,4=90. PatentedSept. 5, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fsra e Z Mala/sky In vewf I. MALASKY. RUG DISPLAY DEVICE." APPLICATION men OCT. 31. 1921.

PatentedS eptt 5, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AZZorrzey 'Wz'in esses rugs to their normal position.

Patented Sept, 5,

a i. it Eat a time 3 liar? nUG-nIsrLAY DEVICE.

Application filed Oetoberfil, 1921. Serial No. 511,618.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL MALAsKY, a citizen of the "United States, residing at Johnstown. inthe county ofCambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rug-Display Devices, of which the following is'a'specification. e r c This invention relates to display devices and has for its object the provision of a power driven device for displaying rugs which are arranged in piles, the arrangement being such as to throw back the successive rugs, beginning from the top, so as to display the different patterns or samples to a prospective purchaser.

Ordinarily, rugs are arranged in piles and in order to display the successive ones to a prospective purchaser it is necessary to employ usually two operators or assistants to the salesman who grasp the corners-of the rugs and-throw them back, beginning at the topmost one, so that any or all of the rugs within the pile may be exhibited. This operation is laboriousand, as above stated, requires two operators to carryout the process rapidly and eiiiciently. I am aware that there are display racks which hold the rugs in vertical position in suitable frames which are rotatably mounted from a vertical support but there is a great disadvantage in this system of exhibition as considerable time and labor are involvedin suspending the rugs and in subsequently removing them from the display rack. Another disadvaie tune is that therugs are alliexposedmore or less to the action of ligl'it which ten-d s to fade them.- It is with the abovefacts in view that the present invention has been (is; signed. I I

An important 'ob'ect is the provision of a power driven display device in which the rugs are simply piled upon a slightly elevated platform, means being provided whereby successive rugsmay be thrown back for display purposes, this means being furthermore reversible whereby to return the Another object is theprovision of a device of this character with which is associated means whereby all the rugs above the one selected by a purchaser may be elevated bodily so that a desiredj rug'niay becwithdrawn from the pile without difficulty and without disturbing the other rugs. i

Another object is the provision of a novel. I

endless chain-carried gripping device which engages the edges of the successive rugs automatically for throwing thenr back in one direction or the other.

' An additional object is'the provision of a device'of this character which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly eliicientfin use,'durable in,

service, and a general improvenient in the art.

. lVith the above and other objects and ad vantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which I l Figure 1 is a plan view of my complete rack. j' p a v Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a detail cross sectional view on the line 3'3 of Figure 2. v Figured isa detail vertical cross. sectional view.

Figureii is a detail view of the chain and gripping device carried thereby.

. Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the gripping device in section.

Figure 7 is an elevation talcenat right angles to Figure 5. Figure 8 is a perspective view 01" the bar carried by each end of each ru v Figure 9is a perspective view of the liitnggt rod.

f. Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the knobs for "holding the. bars upon the rugs. I y

Referring more particularly to the drawings I have shown my device as comprising a frame which includes a pair 01": side members 10 which areiormed oiichannel iron of the cross sectional configuration shown. Each of these frames includes a bottom bar portion 11 from the ends of which rise vertical portions '12 from the .upper end of which extend converging inclined portions 1.3 which lead into the upper horizontal portion 14. .These frames are mounted in upright position upon the floor as by means oi suitable L-shaped brackets 15 secured to the lower portions 11. Suitably mounted with respect to these frames is a platform 16 which is elevated a slight distance above the floor. The various rugs to be exhibited are laid upon this platform in a pile in the ordinary manner.

Secured upon one end of each rug is an elongated metallic bar '17 held in position by means of a plurality of U-shaped spring clips 18. Owing to the increased thickness of these edges of the rugs on account of the addition thereof of "the bars and clips, it is preferable that the platform 16 have one end curved andextending downwardly, as shown at 19.

Rising from the lower portions 11 of the frames 10 are brackets 20 formed with elongated slots 21 and associated with these brackets is an inverted U-shaped bar 22 which has its ends slidably engaged against the brackets 20 and adjustably secured there to by screws 23 passing through the slots 21 and carrying wing nuts 24. By this means it will be seen that the bar 22 will clamp all of the rugs A firmly onto the plat form so that longitudinal or lateral displacement will be prevented.

Journaled within the channel bars which constitute the frames 10 and arranged at spaced intervals are sprockets 25 about which are trained endless chains 26. One pair of sprockets 25 has its shaft 27 carrying a sprocket 28 about which is trained a drive chain. 29 trained about a sprocket 30 on the shaft of an electric motor 31 or other conventional power device.

Carried by the chains, which are of course driven at the same speed, are gripping devices, naturally arranged in pairs, and itis preferable that two pairs be provided. Each gripping device comprises a shank 32 slidable through a bearing 33 carried by one of the links of the chain and carrying a block 34: of rectangular shape. Each gripping device further includes an elongated head 35 which is slidable transversely of the shank 32 and block 34 and which has a recess of greater length than the block 34-, for a purpose to be hereinafter made apparent, the head furthermore having its ends formed as cam noses 37. It is preferable that the block 34 be formed with recesses 38 within which are located spring-pressed balls 89 engaging within recesses 40 in the head 35 for normally holding the head and block in a predetermined position at either limit of the movement of the head with respect to the block and shank. I also provide a coil spring 41 which engages against the bearing 33 and the adjacent face of the head 35 so that the head and block may yield with respect to the chain.

The operation of the device is as follows;

Assuming that a pile of rugs has been placed upon the platform 16 and that each rug has one end provided with the bar 17 held thereon by the clips 18, and assuming that all the rugs are in truly superposed relation as shown in Figure 2, whenever the salesman desires to display the successive rugs to a prospective purchaser, it is merely necessary that he set the motor 31 in operation whereupon it is of course apparent that the endless chains 26 will be driven owing to the drive connection above described. As the chains travel along the channeled frames 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow, the gripping members carried by the chains will of course: pass over the contact bars 17 carried by the rugs. Regardless of the position in which the block 34: and heads 35 occupy relatively to each other, initially, when the cam nose 87 of the gripping devices of each pair engages against thelowermost one of the bars 17, the heads 37 will bemoved downwardly with respect to the blocks 3a which are incapable of such move ment with respect to the chains and this will of course result in leaving a gap between the lower end of the block 34- and the adjacent cam nose of the head. The gripping devices will of course pass over all of the superposed bars 17, the spring l1 being, incidentally under tension and the shank32 being slid through the bearing 33 as shown in F gure 5, until the gripping device passes over the uppermost bar 17 on the pile of rugs. As the movement continues and the gripping devices come opposite the uppermost bar 17, the springs 41 will operate to force the gripping devices inwardly toward each other and this will of course result in the ends of the lower cam noses engaging against the ends of the uppermost bar 17 with this bar subsequently slipping into the spaces between the lower encs of the blocks 3 and the lower cam noses, as indicated by dotted lines in 11 igure 6. As the chains continue to travel about the frames 10 it will be apparent that the gripping devices will carry the uppermost bar 17 and consequently the uppermost rug A. along with the chains so that the rug will be folded back upon itself with the bar 22 acting as the pivot or turning point of the rug. Located in the frames 10 are cam projections 10? which are engaged by the grippers when the rug is thrown back, the grippers being thereby pressed back so as to release the rug. As the chains are continued to be driven, it is apparent that when the gripping devices make a complete circuit of the frames 10 they will engage and carry over the next rug in exactly the same manner, the successive rugs being thus displayed to the prospective purchaser until all the rugs in the pile have been folded over in the ordinary inanner- After the rugs have been displayed, they are'returned to original pOSllilQ11:by.1"6VQIS- ing the movement o'fthe chains. 1 may provide camprojections at the left side of'the frame to release the grippers if preferred, though if any rugs have not" been folded back or over, the engagement of the grippers with the ends of the bars thereof willeflect the releasingaction. x

When a'certain rug has been selected and it is desired to remove the same from the pile, it is extremely desirable that such action be accomplished without disturbing all the rugs in the pile. In order to accomplish this, I provide a pair of upstanding socket members 42 in association with each of the frames 10 and slidable within each of these socket members is an upwardly. extending rack bar 43 carrying a laterally extending hook 44. Each socketmember is provided with a slot into which extends a pinion 45 carried by a shaft 46 having its free end provided with a gear 47 driven by a pinion 48. This shaft and gearing are the same at both sides of the device except that only one handle 49 and gear 48 are provided. The shafts 46 at opposite sides of the frame carry bevel gears 50 meshing with bevel gears 51 carried by a shaft ilwhich extends transversely of the frame so that when the handle 49 is rotated both of. the shafts 46 will be rotated for effecting vertical movement of the racks 43.

After the successive rugs have been thrown back to expose the certain rug selected, I make use of bars 53 which are passed between the selected rug and the one next thereabove and which have their ends engaged with the hooks 44. The operator then turns the handle 49 and consequently effects vertical movement of the racks 43 so that the rods 53 Will elevate all the rugs above the one selected, whereupon'the ,desired one may be easily withdrawn from the pile by pulling it out from between the frames. It will be noted that it is necessary to deal with only one half the length of the rugs above the one selected. After a rughas been withdrawn, the gearing is operated in the reverse direction to return the pile to lowered. position, and the rods 53 are removed.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequently inexpensive device by means of which the successive rugs in a pile may be easily displayed by a sales man alone and without the assistance of any additonal operators, porters, or the like, for effecting the throwing back' of the successive rugs to display those next beneath. It is to be noted that the mechanism is reversible so that afterthe ru 's have been displayed they may be returner? to normal position and be ready for the inspection of the next customer. Owing to the provision of the power mechanism for effecting the throwing-back it will be apparent that theoperation involves I the right to make such changes in the form,

construction and arrangement of parts as willnot depart from the spiritof the invention or the scope of'the' subjoined claims.

lVhatis claimed is 1 1. A displaydevice of'thecharacter de scribed comprising a pair of end-frames of channel iron formation, a platform lo cated between said frames for supporting a pile of rugs in normally superposed relation, elongated bars to be secured upon all the rugs at one end thereof and having their ends projecting into said channel frames, sprockets within said channeled frames, endless chains trained about said sprockets and simultaneously driven, and gripping members carried by saidtchains for engagement with the successive bars comprising shank members slidably associated -with the chains, blocks carried by saidshank memblock members and having cam noses.

2. A display deviceof the character described comprising a pair of end frames of channel iron formation, a platformlocated between said frames supporting a pile of rugs in normally superposed relation, elongated bars to be secured upon all the rugs at one end'thereof and having their ends projecting into said channeled frames, sprockets within said channeled frames, endless chains trained about said sprockets and simultaneously driven, gripping members carried by said chains for engagement with the successive bars comprising shank members slidably associated with the chains,

blocks carried by said shank members, and heads slidably associated with the block members and having cam noses, the heads being formed of recesses of greater length than the length of the blocks whereby to provide recesses engageable upon the end portionsof said bars.

3 A display device of the character de scribed comprising a pair of end frames of channel iron formation, a platform located betwen said frames supporting a pile of rugs in normally superposed relation, elongated bars to be secured upon all the rugs at one end thereof and having their ends projecting into said channeled frames,

sprockets within said channeled frames,

endless chains trained about said sprockets bers, and heads slidably associated with the and simultaneously driven, grippingmembers carried by said chains for engagement with the successive bars comprising shank members slidably associated with the chains, blocks carried by said shank members, and heads slidably associated with the block members and having cam noses, a pair of slotted upright supports rising from the lower portions of said end frames, and an inverted U-shaped bar slidably adjustably connected with said supports and extending over the pile of rugs at the center thereof.

4. A display device of the character described, comprising a pair of end frames of channel iron formation, a platform located between said frames supporting a pile of rugs in normally superposed relation, elongated bars to be secured upon all the rugs atone end thereof and having their ends projecting into saidchanneled frames, sprockets within said channeled'frames, endless chains trained about said sprocketsand simultaneously driven, gripping members carried'by said chains for engagement with the successive bars comprising shank members slidably associated with the chains, blocks carried by said shank members, and heads slidably associated with the block members and having cam noses, a plurality of vertically movable rack bars associated with each frame and carrying hooks, and rods insertable through the pileof rugs and having their ends engageable within said hooks. I

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

ISRAEL MALASKY. 

